The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps has confirmed that it is deploying a team of highly trained officers to Kenya to support the care, monitoring, and quarantine of American citizens departing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to CNN on May 29, the team comprises physicians, nurses, laboratory technologists, mental health professionals, and engineers, including officers who previously responded to the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak in Liberia.
The department added that all of the personnel have undergone specialized training in the use of personal protective equipment, quarantine protocols, and treatment procedures for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
The mission is being carried out as part of a coordinated interagency operation with the State Department and the Department of War.
Earlier, US had pledged an additional Ksh1.7 billion (USD13.5 million) to support Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts following talks between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President William Ruto on the ongoing outbreak.
In a statement on May 28, the two leaders discussed joint efforts to strengthen Kenya’s public health response, including securing critical medical supplies and enhancing the country’s health system preparedness.
The U.S. government said the new funding will bolster Kenya’s readiness to respond to the outbreak, adding to the Ksh14.4 billion (USD112 million) already committed in bilateral assistance toward the broader regional Ebola response.
“The United States Government intends to commit $13.5 million toward Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts and has already committed to providing $112 million in bilateral assistance to the regional response,” read part of the statement.
Kenya Receives Approximately More Than Ksh15 Billion From US
Rubio and Ruto also agreed to maintain close coordination as the situation evolves, stressing the importance of the long-standing U.S.-Kenya health partnership in addressing public health emergencies across East Africa.
During the talks, the United States said its top priority remains protecting the health and security of Americans by helping prevent the Ebola outbreak from spreading beyond the region.
Also Read: Govt Responds to Reports of US-Backed Ebola Quarantine Center in Kenya
US Deploys Health Team to New Ebola Facility in Kenya
At the same time, the Trump administration has formally announced an agreement with Kenya to establish a quarantine center for Americans potentially exposed to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Speaking during a conference call on May 28, senior U.S. officials said the 50-bed facility will be established at Laikipia Air Base near Nanyuki and is expected to begin operations on Friday.
The officials said more than 30 American public health personnel had already been deployed to support the facility.
The team includes doctors, nurses, therapists and laboratory technologists, some of whom previously participated in earlier Ebola response operations.
Also Read: US Refuses Ebola Patients at Home Amid Plan to Dump Them in Kenya
KMPDU Gives Govt Ultimatum Over Kenya-U.S. Ebola Deal
On the other hand, Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) had issued a warning to the Kenyan government against staffing the facility with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps rather than Kenyan medical personnel.
The Union warned that it would oppose any arrangement that sidelines local healthcare workers, insisting that any such project must guarantee permanent employment opportunities, better pay and comprehensive medical cover for Kenyan doctors and nurses.
“If this facility is built, the Kenyan government must leverage this as a non-negotiable mandate to permanently employ the thousands of jobless Kenyan doctors and nurses into the public mainstream, fully funded by the state and the international partners pushing this deal,” read part of the statement.
Additionally, the union also accused the government of prioritizing a foreign-funded quarantine project while public hospitals across the country continue to struggle with shortages of medicines, diagnostic reagents, intensive care equipment and healthcare workers.
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